Know Your Migraine Triggers?
Who knew pizza or watching television might trigger a headache? Headaches have many causes and can be triggered by things such as certain foods or skipping meals, hormonal changes, light and excessive noise, weather and stress. headache triggers are different for everyone, but you can identify your personal trigger to help prevent a headache.
It is not uncommon for an individual to suffer from more than one type of headache. The most common type is a tension headache. Other familiar types may include sinus, cluster and migraine headaches. More than 29.5 million Americans suffer from migraine, with women being affected three times more often than men. Migraines are often misdiagnosed as sinus headache or tension-type headache. headaches, especially migraines, tend to run in families.
Preventing common types of headaches can be much easier than treating one. Keep a journal to track your headaches and possible triggers. The following tips are for the prevention of headaches:
- Aim regular sleep, even on weekends. Try to get at least six to eight hours a night. Lack of sleep and too much sleep can trigger a headache.
- Reduce tension and stress in your life. Stress hormones can change the level of chemicals in the brain, which can contribute to headaches. Teeth grinding or stiffening shoulders in response to stress, are not your worst headaches. Practice relaxation, such as deep breathing exercises. Apply heat or ice to relieve neck and shoulder muscles sore.
- Get a good amount of exercise. Exercise releases endorphins, which are natural painkillers in the body. Stick with the exercise and activities that make you feel good and reduce stress.
- Quit smoking. Smoking negatively affects how your veins dilate and blood flows to your muscles. Cigarette smoke contains carbon monoxide, a trigger known sore head.
- Drink plenty of water. Most Americans have mild dehydration and do not even know. Aim for eight 8-ounce glasses a day to keep dehydration and headaches at bay.
- Learn to stretch your neck and upper body properly, especially if you're sitting at a desk, working at a computer or behind the wheel. Also remember to maintain good posture.
- Avoid too much caffeine. More than two 8-ounce cups of coffee a day can trigger a headache. • Watch what you eat and drink, and do not skip meals. food triggers are different for everyone, but they can include aspartame, caffeine, chocolate, alcohol, cultured dairy products, dried fruit, cheese, smoked or dried fish, canned soups, MSG (a food additive), and the elderly, canned, cured, or cured meats.
frequent headaches can interfere with your work and life. Some natural remedies like acupuncture and biofeedback, may help control headaches. There is some evidence that ginger taken at the first sign of a headache can reduce pain, because it contains a small amount of antihistamine and anti-inflammatory action. Talk to your doctor about the prevention of headache and pain management.
Serious causes of headaches are rare and sometimes headaches warn of a more serious disorder. Let your health care provider if you have sudden, severe headache. Get medical help right away if you have a headache following a blow to the head, or you have a headache with a stiff neck, fever, confusion, loss of consciousness or pain in the eye or ear.
Sources: Medline Plus, National Headache Foundation, Strategies LifeWork, and Washington Adventist Hospital and Shady Grove. For more information, consult your doctor.
0 Komentar